Having pushed through a deal in which a Chinese state-owned company takes a minority share in one of Hamburg’s port terminals, the German chancellor is getting ready for his solo trip to see President Xi Jinping in Beijing. It is a missed opportunity.
As foreign minister, the leading Green has given German foreign policy a fresh voice. She has been pushing Chancellor Olaf Scholz to do more to support Ukraine with weapons and even seems not to have given up on the country’s top job.
As Germany braces itself for the tough months ahead, its squabbling politicians need to get a grip and focus on what really matters most: ensuring that Ukraine wins.
Slowly, Germany’s political class has caught up with the present. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Green Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck are starting to prepare Germany for a future that the country did not reckon with.
Amid dramatic shifts caused by Russia’s war of aggression, Germany is getting a lot of flak for dragging its feet and acting too slowly. The Scholz government is risking its leadership role in Europe.
Once again, Chancellor Olaf Scholz only moved after the pressure got too high. His smaller coalition partners are now in a good position to drive government policy.
One month into the proclaimed new foreign policy era, Germany is struggling to take on board what this requires.
Vladimir Putin and his illegal war of aggression against Ukraine have achieved something no German politician has been able to: Setting the country on the path to becoming a serious military power.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz is stepping onto the world stage. And he is doing better than his critics suggest. His Social Democrats, meanwhile, are breaking with their Ostpolitik, which lately only meant “good relations” and “dialogue,” irrespective of how badly Russia behaved.
Berlin is getting a lot of flak for appearing to be the West’s weakest link when it comes to dealing with Russia. But coalition cohesion is better than expected, and Scholz is ready to give his foreign policy a more definite shape.
The German government had seemed split on how to respond to another possible Russian invasion of Ukraine, including what role Nord Stream 2 should play. However, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock have now made sure there’s clarity.
The new German government has made an energetic start in foreign affairs. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his ministers have a good chance to shine on the international stage, if they play their part in deterring Russia from another military attack.
